17.5% of children and adolescents in China have mental disorders: Study

An estimated 17.5% of children and adolescents in China have mental disorders, according to the results of a nationwide study released in 2021. 

As the South China Morning Post reports, the survey, led by Beijing Anding Hospital, covered students aged six to 16. Anxiety and depressive disorders were the most common conditions.

Researchers noted that the figure may be underestimated because children who do not attend school were not included in the sample. 

According to a 2022 report by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 14.8% of surveyed adolescents had varying levels of depression risk, which is higher than among adults. The academy had previously also reported symptoms of depression in about 30% of junior middle school students and nearly 40% of senior high school students.

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Pressure begins earlier

Shimin Zhu, an associate professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, links the deterioration of young people's mental health to a combination of several factors: increased educational competition, the spread of digital media, changes in family structures, and uncertainty during rapid social change.

In China, nine years of education are compulsory only through the completion of junior middle school. After the senior high school entrance examination, students are allocated between academic and vocational tracks. Depending on the region, around 50–70% of exam participants can continue their education at an academic senior high school. Due to society's preference for academic education, many families perceive the vocational track as a failure.

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Barriers to assistance

Beijing has stated its intention to reduce the academic workload and develop a nationwide mental health screening and crisis intervention system. By 2030, all primary and secondary schools are to have a counselor and hold at least one relevant event or lecture per year. According to China's State Council, counselors already work in 92% of primary schools and 95% of junior middle schools.

At the same time, seeking help is hindered by stigma, parents' concerns about the possible consequences of a diagnosis, and a shortage of specialists. According to a study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, only 27.4% of parents take their child to a clinic after their first request for help. A 2019 article in The Lancet estimated the number of qualified child and adolescent psychiatrists in China at about 500, most of whom worked in major cities.